1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the field of equipment housings for outdoor communication structures. More specifically the invention relates to an apparatus for protecting equipment in a walk-up or drive-in ordering apparatus.
2. Background Art
One of the services that modern businesses offer with increasing frequency is the ability to transact business while remaining in an automobile or at a walk-up structure. Consumers find such services appealing because of the convenience and efficiency with which they can complete tasks such as purchasing goods, arranging for services, conducting bank transactions, and paying bills. Drive-in or walk-up ordering is commonly associated with fast-food restaurants and dry-cleaning businesses. However, these transactions may also occur at banks or other establishments where feasible.
The outdoor communication structures currently used by walk-up or drive-in businesses also have certain disadvantages. Because such structures are generally placed in an outdoor location and require some sort of communication link with a person or computer, exposure to adverse weather conditions, communication quality, and vandalism are often significant concerns. Very little, if any, patented technology exists for solving these problems with outdoor communication structures. However, a few patents exist that relate generally to the types of equipment often found in such structures. Some of these references include U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,831 issued to Aeschliman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,856 issued to Takahashi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,625 issued to Catta, U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,803 issued to Pum et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,493 issued to Jeng et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,120 issued to Howard et al. The teachings of the indicated references do not adequately overcome the problems associated with outdoor communication structures and, more specifically, drive-in ordering apparatus which comprise one subgroup of outdoor communication structures.
A common concern with outdoor communication structures is their exposure to adverse weather conditions. Drive-in ordering apparatus are often positioned remotely with respect to the main business building and cannot receive the benefits of climate control and other protection from heat, wind, dust, and moisture. Remote positioning of a drive-in apparatus is a characteristic choice, for example, with fast-food restaurants where a driveway provides a controlled route for automobiles to approach an ordering apparatus. After placing an order, customers then proceed to a window at the main business building where they pay for and pick up their order. Remote positioning has the advantage of allowing restaurants to improve efficiency by preparing a customer's order while they wait in a line of automobiles to pay for and pick up their order. Other outdoor communication structures may be embedded within an outside facing wall of a building and may or may not be able to receive the benefits of climate control from the building. Even if climate control is possible, the equipment housed in the outdoor communication structure is still potentially exposed to adverse weather conditions.
Among the weather conditions listed above, heat, wind, and dust are particularly troublesome because few conventional equipment housings provide effective protection, particularly in arid or semi-arid climates. A common solution to equipment overheating inside a housing is to provide a fan along with intake and exhaust vents. This arrangement will probably cool the equipment, but at the cost of increased interference with communication, electricity usage, maintenance of fans, and intake of dust. Ordering apparatus typically have an intercom system with a microphone and speaker that allows customers and business personnel to communicate with each other. Accordingly, the vibration from a fan is transmitted to the intercom microphone and, thus, decreases the coherence of communication to and from the customer. Such interference is in addition to the already troublesome vibration from automobiles, pattering from rain, hissing from wind, and other sources. Also, because a fan continuously intakes and exhausts air, any dust or moisture in the air will be drawn into the housing where it can interfere with equipment such as speakers and/or microphones, fans, lights, and possibly electronic displays.
Another common concern associated with outdoor communication structures is vandalism. While typical equipment inside a structure, such as an intercom and internal reader-board lighting, is not particularly valuable, breaking into or damaging an outdoor communication structure is nevertheless a significant problem. Vandalized property requires repair or replacement for a business to avoid appearing shabby or run-down. Also, vandalism is often repeated and, with repetition, can become very costly even for damage to a inexpensive structure. Vandalism is an increasingly serious problem as more businesses begin to install relatively valuable equipment, such as liquid crystal displays, electro-luminescent displays, light-emitting diode displays, and field emission displays. In addition, down time associated with vandalism can reduce profits and lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Thus, it can be seen from the above discussion that it would be an improvement in the art to provide outdoor communication structures having a housing that protects equipment from heat, dust, vibration, and vandalism. Unless better protection is provided, businesses will continue to lose profits from equipment malfunctions that require costly repair and turn away inconvenienced customers.